


Poker Night

by peggin



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 17:41:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12753066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peggin/pseuds/peggin
Summary: Poker night in the FBI conference room (takes place a few days after 4x05, Honor Among Thieves)





	Poker Night

When Neal suggested they hang around after hours and play poker in the conference room, Peter laughed in his face. “Does it look like I have the word ‘sucker’ stamped across my forehead? I’m not playing poker with you.”

“Come on, Peter,” Neal replied. “Elizabeth is out of town, so it’s not like you need to rush home, and Diana has had a really bad week. She could use some cheering up.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure losing half her paycheck to you will do wonders for her morale.” Peter rolled his eyes and turned back to his computer.

“I’m not going to cheat anyone out of their money,” Neal said. “No one has to lose their paycheck -- we can play for M&Ms.”

Neal knew how to fight dirty -- everyone in the office knew Diana loved M&Ms. Peter looked through the glass wall into the conference room where Diana was sitting with several stacks of files, putting together evidence for what was shaping up to be a massive real estate fraud case. Neal wasn’t wrong. Diana had been having a bad week. She had just broken up with her long-term girlfriend, and even though she insisted it was for the best, he knew she was still more than a little depressed about it. She could definitely use some cheering up.

Peter looked back at Neal skeptically. “No cheating?” he asked.

Neal held up his right hand, as if taking an oath. “Peter, I swear to you, I won’t win so much as a single M&M by less than honorable means.”

Peter’s gut was still telling him that Neal had to be up to something, but he wanted to encourage the kind of generosity of spirit that Neal seemed to be demonstrating, so he decided to give Neal the benefit of the doubt. He took out his wallet and handed Neal a $20 bill. “Go to the Duane Reade down on the corner. Get as many bags of M&Ms as you can with this. I’ll talk to Jones and Westley, we can order a couple of pizzas and make a night of it.”

“This is going to be fun,” Neal said with a grin as he sauntered out the door.

********

All evening, Peter kept careful watch every time Neal dealt the cards. There were a couple of times he was almost certain he’d seen Neal palm a card or deal from the bottom of the deck, but Neal didn’t win those hands, so Peter almost decided he must have been wrong. Almost. 

As the second hour of cards was coming to a close, they all agreed they’d play one more hand then take a break. It was Neal’s turn to deal, and Peter paid extra close attention as he watched Neal deal out the cards. He smiled and shook his head as he realized he’d been right all along. He should always trust his gut.

A couple of minutes later, Diana raked in the large pile of M&Ms in the center of the table and everyone got up to stretch their legs. Neal headed down to the kitchen area to get a fresh cup of coffee. Peter waited just a few seconds before following him.

“I know what you’re doing,” Peter said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Neal said with his best con man grin.

“You’re cheating, and you have been all night,” Peter said.

“Do you really think I’d cheat for M&Ms?” Neal asked “Come on, Peter, I haven’t won a single hand when I was dealing, why would you suspect me of cheating?”

Peter looked at Neal, trying his best to put on his ‘disapproving’ face, but knowing he was falling short. “I just find it interesting that, every single time you’ve dealt the cards tonight, Diana has won the hand.”

Neal didn’t acknowledge Peter’s comment, but he had that expression on his face that Peter had long since identified as Neal’s ‘you caught me, but I’m not sorry’ look. But rather than attempting to respond to Peter’s accusation, Neal just looked up at the conference room, where they could see Diana saying something to Jones and laughing, and said, “She looks happy tonight, don’t you think?”

Peter clasped Neal on the shoulder. “Yes. Yes she does,” Peter said, inwardly marveling at Neal's uncanny ability to make him feel both exasperated and proud at the same time.


End file.
